Implement handle



July 29. 1924. 1,503,251

' w. SCHOOF V IMPLEMENT HANDLE Filed June 8, 192-2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 29, 1924.

oFFicE.

WILLIAM SCI-IOOF, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPLEMENT HANDLE.

Application filed June 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Sorroor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Implement Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in implement handles, and more particularly to improvements in that agricultural implement which is known as a dibble.

It is the object of this invention to produce a handle suitable for use in connection with any device which requires for its operation the intermittent exercise of manual pressure by the operator. More particularly, it is the object of this invention to produce a handle for a dibble or a similar tool which may be grasped for hours in the active use of the too-l without occasioning the production of blisters or bruises upon the hand of the operator.

So far as is known to me, it has been customary in the manufacture of dibbles to bend the shaft or: body of the tool in a broad curve to form a handle substantially at right angles thereto. In a tool of this type, used by forcing it into the earth by the pressure of the operators hand, there is a decided tendency for the hand to slide upon the handle during each forcing OP. eration. This tendency must be resisted by increasing the firmness of the operators grasp upon the handle, and it is necessary to exert a considerable muscular pressure upon the handle to maintain the hand in operative position with respect to the outer end of the handle. At best, there is a slight rolling of the flesh of the hand or slippage of the flesh with respect to the handle, which is sufiicient in the course of a very few hours to produce blisters upon the hand of the operator. Not only are blisters produced, but the exertion necessary to maintain the operators hand in position upon the handle is very tiring to the muscle, and the pressure of the hand is poorly distributed over its: surface. The high points of the palm which contact directly with the handle transmit the whole pressure exerted by the operator and becomes painfully bruised thereby.

By means of the present invention a tool handle is produced which is provided with 1922. Serial N0. 566,879.

hollows and raised portions adapted to conform exactly to the hand of the operator when the hand is clasped naturally about the tool in a position suitable for the use thereof. Means are also provided for limiting the movement of the hand in either di rection upon the handle, whereby slipping or rolling of the flesh with respect to the handle is practically impossible.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the left hand side of a right handed toolembodying this invention.

Figure 2 shows the right hand side of the same tool.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a similar tool having a slightly modified construction.

Figure & is a plan view of the tool shown in Figure 3, the handle thereof being the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Like parts are identified by the same ref enence characters throughout the several views.

The body or working point of a dibble is shown at 10. It will be understood that while the handle, designated in its entirety by the numeral 11, is adapted for use with. other tools of a similar nature, it is peculiarly suited for use in connection with a dibble.

In Figures 3 and l the body portion 10 of the dibble is shown to be provided with a laterally projecting fin 12. This fin, in entering the soil, is forced therein without compressing or packing the adjacent soil to as great a degree as does the body portion proper. The soil forced aside by the fin 12 is therefore left in a reasonably loose condition whereby, when the tool is withdrawn from the earth, this loosened soil falls into the opening about the plant deposited therein. The broad fiat side 13 of the tool, formed by the extension from the body portion 10 of fin 12, constitutes a convenient means for tamping or packing the earth in place about the roots of the plant.

The handle 11 was originally modeled by clasping in my hand some clayof a consistency adapted to retain its shape. The patterns from which the handle of the tool is cased were copied from the clay so joint. .17, where it constitutes a ridge of considerajbleheightextending completely around the tool in the manner clearly .shown in the drawings. shoulder 18 at the top of the .tool conforms ger upon the tool. 'modated in'either one of twopositions.

moulded. The result has been a tool handle about which the hand fits naturally and easily.

The thumb of the operators right hand rests in a fairly deep cavity or depression 14;. The lower wall or extremity of the depression 1 1, and particularly the portion 15 thereof, is sharply inclined and approaches a position at right angles to the side wall of the cavity, whereby considerable support is afforded for the ball of the thumb. The wall portion 16 of cavity 14. is curved inwardly and fits closely about the narrowed portion of the thumb-adjacent the second This wall is projected upwardly at The adjacent broadly rounded to the broad curve between the thumb and first finger, and the flange 17 seats against the flesh of the hand between the thumb and first finger in a way to prevent absolutely any slipping of the hand upon the handle in the directionof the tool.

The shoulder 18, together .with the ad jacentridge 19 best shown inFigure 2, are received into that transverse line of the palm upon which the palm is creased when the hand is folded. The fleshy portion of the palm adjacent the root of the thumb is received into asuitable depression or hollow 20 upon one side of the ridge, while the fleshy portion of the palm at the left hand rear side thereof is received into the hollow 21. It will be noted that the shoulder 18 in reality divides into two ridges, one of which has been described as ridge 19 and the other of which, 22, branches therefrom and lies between hollows 20 and 21, being thereby adapted to conform to the longitudinal division line in the palm of the hand which is found between the fleshy portions accommodated in depressions20 and 21.

It will be understood that the shoulder 18, and the ridge 19 which constitutes a continuation thereof, lie beneath the knuckles, and the fingers are bent about said ridge and shoulder. The ridge indicated upon the lower side of the handle at'23 in Figures .1 and 2, is received within the second joint of the fingers and thefinger tips rest adjacent ridge 24, whereby they are brought almost into contact with the palm of the hand on the upper side of the handle.

A separate place is provided for each fin- The forefinger is accom- In a half open position it may pass partially about ridge 23 in groove 25, which constitutes a decided notch in the tool as shown in Figures 1 and 2. If desired, the forefinger may be allowed to remain fully extended, in which case it will project into a socket 26,

against the inner wall 26, of which the ball or finger ti of the first finger may be firmly seated. Tie finger may be retained in either position during the pressing operation by which a hole is made in the soil. During the tamping operation wherein the soil is compressed about the roots of a plant by striking-it with the side of the tool, it will be .found particularly advantageous to have the forefinger extended into hollow 26, thereby providing increased moment for controlling the tamping movement.

The second or middle finger is received into the depression 27in ridge 23. Corresponding depressions 28 and 29 receive respectively the third and little fingers. It will be noted that the handle tapers toward its outer end in order that the varying lengths of 'the fingers may properly be accommoclated.

At the extreme-end of the tool a downwardly extending flange .30 partially encircles the little finger and insures against relativemovement between the hand and the tool. The flange 30 also extends rearwardly as shown in Figure 4.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the handle of thedibble above described is so shaped as to conform closely to the natural contour of the clasped hand. Each portion of the hand, whether it be a hollow or a raised portion, is adequately supported so that'when pressure is applied through the hand upon the tool, all portions of the hand will be equally available for transmitting such pressure. Furthermore, provision is made for guarding against the possibility of the hand sliding inany direction upon the handle, and thereby inducing the friction blisters usually found after a few hours work with any kind of a garden tool where even the slightest friction is present. Not only, however, do the flanges 17 and 30 at the ends of the handle prevent any shifting of the hand thereon, but also the walls of each depression and groove in the whole handle contribute to this desired result. The handle fits so naturally within the ordinary hand that any shifting of the hand with respect to the handle seems almost impossible. In fact, it has been found possible to use this toolall day without the production of blisters or bruises upon hands which are bruised and blistered in a few hours 'work with a dibble of ordinary construction.

than are obtainable with the ordinary dibble. This is true because even though the hand of the user does not fit perfectly into the hollows and depressions provided, it will nevertheless abut against the ridge or flange 17 upon the outside of the handle and will thereby be secured against slipping and the consequent blistering.

In addition to the handle, it will be noted that the dibble disclosed herein has the up wardly extending fin 12 upon its side, and provision is made whereby this fin may be used most effectively by extending the forefinger into socket 26.

If desired, the fin may be made in the manner indicated in Figure 4, wherein it is shown to taper toward its upper margin. Thus the greatest thickness of the fin will be found substantially at the point of application to the numeral 12 in Figure 3, and the fin will decrease in thickness from that point toward its top. The purpose of thus tapering the fin upwardly is to make the fin self cleaning. As the tool is forced into the ground the converging sides of the upper portions of the fin do not contact with the earth which has been pressed apart by the thicker portions thereof, and thus the tendency for the earth to adhere to the less used portions of the tool is avoided.

I claim:

1. A tool handle shaped to conform to a clasped hand and to accommodate. the fleshy portions of the palm while supporting the intermediate portions thereof.

2. A tool handle shaped to conform to a clasped hand and to accommodate the fleshy portions of the palm while supporting the intermediate portions thereof, said handle being provided with a shoulder adapted to secure a hand against slippage thereon.

3. A handle for tools which are utilized by exerting intermittently manual pressure thereon, said handle comprising a piece of material roughly tapered to conform with the decreasing length of the fingers, and formed to accommodate the fleshy portions of the palm, and to support the intermediate portions thereof.

4. A handle for tools operated by exerting manual pressure thereon, said handle comprising a piece of material tapered in conformity with the decreasing length of the fingers, ridges thereon adapted to conform to the depressions of the clasped hand of the operator, hollow portions adapted to receive the elevated portions of the palm of the operator, and ridges so positioned as to define the position of the clasped fingers of the operator.

5. A handle for tools operated by exerting intermittently manual pressure thereon, said handle comprising a handle roughly tapered toward its outer end," ridges formed thereon adapted to provide support for the depressions in the hand of an operator, the depression portions of the handle being adapted to receive the raised portions of an operators hand, means for defining the normal position of the fingers of a hand clasping the handle, and flanges at each end of the handle arranged to confine the hand of an operator against movement with respect thereto.

6. A dibble including a pointed body portion and a handle portion projecting laterally therefrom means upon the body portion for supporting the thrunb and forefinger of a hand in which said handle is clasped, and means for supporting such a hand against movement with respect to the handle.

7. A dibble comprising a pointed body portion provided with recess-es adapted to receive the thumb and forefinger of a hand, and a laterally project-ing handle shaped to conform to a clasped hand.

8. A dibble provided with a pointed body portion, a fin projecting laterally therefrom, a handle projecting laterally from the body portion substantially at right angles to the fin, and means for supporting from the body portion the extended forefinger of a hand clasped about said handle.

9. A dibble comprising a pointed body portion provided with a laterally projecting fin, a handle projecting laterally from the body portion at a different angle from the fin and adapted to conform to the hand of an operator, and means for accommodating the forefinger of the operator upon said handle in a partially closed and in an extended position.

10. A dibble including a recessed body portion provided with a laterally extending fin, a handle projecting laterally from the dibble and controlled to conform to the clasped hand of an operator, and means for securing against movement with respect to said handle a hand clasped thereon, the recesses in said handle being so disposed as to support the fingers of the operator in positions best suited for pressing the tool into the earth, and for using said fin as a tamping device.

11. A dibble including a handle having a laterally projecting portion, said portion being shaped to conform to a clasped hand and to accommodate the fleshy portions of the palm while supporting the depressed port-ions thereof.

12. A dibble including a pointed body portion, a handle projecting laterally therefrom, and a flange associated with the handle and arranged to prevent the slippage in the direction of said body portion of a hand clasped about the handle.

13. A dibble including a body portion, a handle projecting laterally therefrom, and a. fin integral with the body portion and projecting-laterally therefrom, the central with those of the body portion'to create a portions of said fin being thicker than its substantially ovoid cross section, and an upper extremity. abrupt shoulder portion at the upper end of 10 14:. A dibble including a sharpened body the fin, the fin being tapered in thickness to- 5 portion and a fin projecting laterally there- 'ward said shoulder portion.

fro1n,'the surface of the fin being merged WILLIAM SCHOOF. 

